


Tradition

by Bexless



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF
Genre: M/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-30
Updated: 2011-07-30
Packaged: 2017-10-21 23:46:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/231210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bexless/pseuds/Bexless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kris goes to Adam's birthday party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tradition

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sprat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sprat/gifts).



> For sprat :) Thanks to Airgiodslv and Olivia Circe

Kris could hear the music from a block away, and there wasn’t really anywhere to park but that was what drivers were for.

“Can you circle around, Winston? I’ll be ten minutes,” Kris promised, undoing his seatbelt.

“Five,” said Winston sternly, and he made Kris set his watch before he got out of the car.

Kris made it all the way up the driveway, in the front door, through the heaving, sparkling, happy crowd and out the back door of Adam’s house before he actually found what he was looking for. The crowd was pretty thick out there too, and everywhere there wasn’t a person there was a flaming pineapple on a stick or a weird glow-in-the-dark water feature or something, but Kris would be able to find Adam anywhere. He could see him now, head and shoulders above everyone else, waving a glass of something green around and smiling hugely. Kris stuck his hand in the air and waved, calling his name.

“Kris!” Adam cried happily, striding over in the boots that made him seven feet tall and stooping down to wrap Kris up in a hug. His wig tickled Kris’ ear. “I thought you couldn’t make it?”

“I’m on my way to the airport,” said Kris, clinging a bit. He hadn’t seen Adam for a while. “I seriously have like five minutes, but I had to come by and say happy birthday.”

“You can say happy birthday by phone,” Adam laughed, straightening up. He was wearing shiny pants and some kind of wraparound...thing made from what looked like belts and feathers, and possibly belts made from feathers. There was a window of bare skin over his chest. It all looked very involved. Adam noticed Kris staring and preened a little. “You like? Cassidy and Katie made it for me. So awesome, right?”

It was awesome. “It’s totally awesome,” said Kris. Adam hadn’t stepped back so Kris had to crane his neck right back to look at his face. “I think the wig really sets it off.”

Adam clicked his tongue. “It’s a _hairpiece_ ,” he corrected Kris, and then someone came up and yanked Adam down and put their tongue in his mouth.

Kris put his hands in his pockets and waited. Eventually the person released Adam, and Kris could see it was Drake, which was weird, because the last time Kris spoke to Adam, he wasn’t currently in a kissing situation with Drake. But then, he hadn’t spoken to Adam for a while.

“Happy birthday baby,” Drake said, beaming, and Adam thanked him sweetly before sending him off into the house.

Kris gave him a little wave as he passed. “You guys back together?”

“Nope!” said Adam cheerfully. “So how are you? I never see you anymore.”

“I know,” said Kris. His neck was starting to hurt. He rubbed it, and Adam must have noticed because he led Kris to sit down with him on the loungers by the pool. “Looks like your party’s going off with a bang. I’m pretty sure half of Hollywood is having an orgy in there.”

“I know!” said Adam. “Isn’t it great?”

Before Kris could answer, someone dropped into Adam’s lap and shut him up with a kiss. Adam didn’t even miss a beat, just wrapped his hands around the guy’s hips and kissed him back, humming appreciatively. After a minute the guy pulled back and pecked Adam on the nose. “Many happy fucking returns.”

It was Brad. Adam stretched up to kiss his cheek as Kris watched. “Thank you,” he said.

Brad cupped Adam’s face in his hands. “Still irresistible,” he sighed, and then he climbed off the chair and went tottering off in the direction of the party, blowing Kris a kiss on his way.

Kris looked at Adam. “Are _you_ guys back together?”

Adam tipped his head back and laughed. “No! Come on, it’s my birthday! I get kisses, it’s the rule.”

“Okay,” said Kris, because he had never heard this rule before. Then yet another dude came and laid one on Adam, and he moved away before Kris really got a good look at him, but: “Was that _Zac Efron_?”

“Oh, what,” said Adam, waving his hand. “Disney’s off-limits now? I told you, it’s tradition.”

“Some tradition,” said Kris.

“Rules are rules,” said Adam. There was something sparkly on his face. It twinkled when the light caught it.

Kris’ watch beeped and Kris looked down at it, dismayed. “Dammit.”

“You have to go,” said Adam. When Kris looked up Adam was wearing a lopsided little smile. “It’s okay. I really appreciate you dropping in. It means a lot to me.”

“No,” said Kris. “I mean, of course. Of course I did. I wouldn’t not.”

They sat there looking at each other for another minute, then Kris’ phone started buzzing in his pocket. “Ugh.”

“It’s okay,” said Adam, sweeping up onto his feet again. “C’mon, I’ll walk you out.”

They wandered down the side path around Adam’s house together, not speaking. Kris’ chest felt full, like he had something to say, but he didn’t know what it was so he kept quiet.

Adam grabbed Kris’ hand when their fingers brushed. “I should give Katy a call while you’re out of town,” he said, examining Kris’ fingers. “See if she wants to have lunch and talk shit about you.”

“Do it,” Kris agreed, knowing he wouldn’t.

Adam nodded and smiled, and moved in front of Kris to push some overgrown branches out of the way. He hadn’t let go of Kris’ hand, and right before they moved out into the clear space of the front yard, Kris found himself planting his feet and tightening his grip and pulling Adam back into the shadowed space underneath the greenery instead.

“What-” said Adam, and Kris reached up and wrapped his hand firmly around the back of Adam’s neck, pulled him down and kissed him.

He could tell Adam was surprised, but so was Kris, in fact Kris would have bet money that he was the most surprised out of the two of them. It didn’t last long, just Adam’s mouth on his, a brief, sweet stroke of Kris’ tongue against Adam’s lip. He felt Adam’s fingers curl around his elbow.

They both pulled back at the same time. Adam blinked slowly, like he was in a dream.

“Happy birthday,” Kris whispered.

Adam stared at him for a while. “You didn’t-”

“Rules are rules,” Kris interrupted him. He was holding on to Adam’s hand so hard his own fingers hurt. “Like you said.”

“Right,” said Adam, lightly. Too light.

Kris had to say goodbye then. He had to say goodbye and jog down the path and climb into the car and lock the door tight shut and strap himself down against the seat.

“Ready to leave?” said Winston.

Kris nodded. He didn’t look out of the window as the car pulled away.


End file.
